In 1652 John Hull and Robert Sanderson were appointed mint masters for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Established in response to a chronic shortage of hard currency and the need for a reliable and efficient medium of exchange, the mint was operated by Hull and Sanderson for thirty years. During that period, it produced coins of various denominations and designs, ranging from a simple NE (for "New England") to a willow, oak, or pine tree encircled by beading; virtually all examples, however, were dated 1652.